Let's Get Through This
by Fellsing
Summary: Sans has never allowed himself to get too invested in anyone or anything. Even his relationship with his brother had become strained due to his increasing apathy, and, unknown to everyone else, he's started to fall into a depression. Then one day, he meets someone. Someone who might just get him to start caring again.
1. Prologue

**Hey, everyone. It's me Fellsing, formerly DarkTeddiursa, and welcome to my first real story on this new account. Some of you may vaguely recall that I had a Pokemon fanfiction uploaded here, simply so the account wasn't completely empty, but I recently deleted it as I'm not particularly fond of how it turned out.**

 **Honestly, for a long time, I wondered if I would be able to write fanfiction anymore, as the idea didn't seem appealing anymore. All the good fanfiction ideas I came up with I either was too lazy to write or I would rather just retool them for original stories. I thought about abandoning this little account.**

 **Then Undertale came along.**

 **This game. This game made me want to write fanfiction again. And for the first time in a long time, it's not self-insert or even has any OCs. I mean, you could argue my characterisation of Frisk is an OC stand-in, but considering Frisk's personality is up to anyone's imagination, I don't think that's a problem.  
**

 **This is in some ways a novelisation of Undertale, in other ways an Elsewhere fic as it will alternate between Frisk's journey and what Sans may have been doing off-screen, and focusses mostly on their big brother-little brother friendship, as well as delving more into Sans' personality since he's quite the enigma.**

 **And yes, I see Frisk as boy and he will be depicted as a boy in this story. Funnily enough, though, I see Chara as a girl, mainly because I like to imagine her as a creepy ghost girl, but I'm uncertain as to whether she'll be making an appearance in this story.**

 **Anyway, onwards! I hope you enjoy _Let's Get Through This_ and if you like it, please review, I'd love to hear what you think.**

 **Prologue**

Sans didn't usually make promises, maybe because he knew deep down he wouldn't be able to keep them. It wasn't in his nature to commit to something, to be dedicated to a single cause so passionately. Even when he did care about something, his laidback demeanor never faltered and he had even started to view Papyrus, his own brother, with a certain level of apathy. Not to the point that he had stopped loving him, mind you, just enough that he found himself spending less and less time with him.

In the eyes of every monster that knew him, Sans was a friend to everyone. There didn't seem to be a single person who outright hated the small, chubby skeleton. Even those who found him irksome felt at least a little affection towards him. He could easily strike up a conversation with anyone he wanted and it would go along with incredible ease. Yet, even these small acts seemed to tire him.

In reality, all he wanted right now was to be alone.

Perhaps that was the real reason he found himself lurking around his post just outside the Ruins everyday, watching the door with absent-minded interest for any human who may unsuspectingly wander through. His normal life brought him no satisfaction anymore, so he resigned himself to daydreaming in solitude, to waiting to fulfill a request that he may never need to act upon.

And so the days went on. Sans found himself falling asleep at his post more and more often, much to Papyrus' chagrin. He'd often wake up in the morning to find himself covered in a thick layer of frost, half-buried in the snow and only just able to pull himself out at the start of each day. Sometimes, he wondered if there would ever be a time he wouldn't be able to pull himself up again. Maybe he'd just stay submerged in the snow forever, as layer upon layer settled upon him every day.

…

Nah. Papyrus wouldn't allow that. Even though the taller skeleton wasn't always aware of his brother's activity, even he in all his absent-mindedness wouldn't allow Sans eternal rest. He'd yank him out, shake him off and then give him a scolding for slacking off, like he always did. He was unaware of the frost that was ceasing Sans' heart, yet he wouldn't allow it to fully possess him. Most people would have sickened of Papyrus' attitude, but not Sans.

For Sans, Papyrus was all he had.

It was funny. Most people would think that Papyrus would be nothing without his brother to keep him in check, and while Sans certainly was certainly the brains of the two, the logic that kept Papyrus reigned in, if anything were to happen to him, Sans knew that Undyne would look after his brother. She would dote on him the way Sans did, but she would care for him. She couldn't help it. Papyrus was the kind of guy who brought out the best in others, even if he wasn't fully aware of it.

But if the roles were reversed? If something happened to Papyrus? Well… Sans didn't know what he would do. Looking after his brother had been the only commitment Sans truly felt an obligation to fulfill, and without that anchor, he'd have no reason to care anymore. He truly would allow himself to be swallowed up by the ground.

It was kind of pathetic really, if the only things he had to live for were caring for his naïve older brother, and keeping a promise he would probably never have to fulfill. Things that required so little effort from him that he had plenty of time to just sit here at his post, waiting and thinking and overthinking until thinking became too much work and he just ended up falling asleep again. Was this really a way to live, Sans wondered? Was this really a worthwhile existence to suffer through? Surely, there had to be something else to all of this, right?

… Right?

…

Sans gave a small sigh as he once again pushed himself out of his snowy bed, making very little effort to shake the white powder off him. He was only vaguely aware of the cold seeping into his bones as he lazily came to a stand behind his post. Another day… or was it night? It really was hard to tell without of the light of sun to guide you…

Or a clock.

Yeah, maybe he should get a watch. That certainly would make things easier.

"SANS!"

Oh, look who it was.

"hrrrm?" Sans raised his head as a familiar figure came racing into the clearing. "oh, hey bro," he said, feigning the slightest hint of surprise. "'sup?"

Papyrus stood in front of the counter, arms folded, foot tapping. "WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN? I HAVEN'T SEEN YOU SINCE YESTERDAY!" Papyrus proclaimed. "DON'T TELL ME YOU'VE BEEN NAPPING HERE ALL THIS TIME!?"

… had he been asleep for a whole day? He certainly wouldn't put it past himself. Sans placed his hands into his jacket pockets. "seems that way," he said, nonchalantly. He gave a small yawn. "so that's why i feel so groggy. perhaps i should go back to sleep?"

He was jesting, of course, but then Papyrus never had been the sharpest bone in the box. "NO! NO MORE SLEEPING!" he commanded, pointing an accusing finger at his brother. "YOU HAVE A JOB TO DO, SANS. IF ANY HUMAN COMES THROUGH HERE, YOU MUST INFORM ME IMMEDIATELY."

As always, Sans agreed. "sure thing, bro," he said with nod.

Papyrus paused for a second, practically squinting down at his brother with suspicion. Sans' usual grin was stretched right over his face with no signs of faltering, and eventually, Papyrus had no choice but to sigh and accept Sans' word. He then marched out of the clearing, leaving Sans once again alone with his thoughts.

Some time past, and despite his exhaustion, Sans managed to stay awake. In fact, his mind had quickly turned away from sleep to food, and he started wondering whether he should take a trip into town and visit Grillby's. He doubted Papyrus would mind. Heck, he wouldn't even have to know if Sans went the 'short way' around. He could leave here and be back in mere minutes, Papyrus none-the-wiser. He was half-way from his post now, ready to take his leave when he suddenly heard a sound. A sound that he hadn't heard in a very long time.

It sounded like… footsteps. Not footsteps crunching through the snow, but footsteps on stone. Footsteps that were echoing from…

Sans glanced towards the Ruins' entrance. Slowly, the doors were being pushed open from the other side, and Sans could make out a small shape emerging. He took cover in the trees, allowing himself to be hidden in a cloak of shadows as the newcomer stepped out into the snow.

They were about Sans' size, perhaps even a little smaller, and definitely much younger. He couldn't quite see their eyes as they were hidden by a long fringe, but their mouth was set into a thin line. Cautiously, they tiptoed out of the door, casting glances around themselves before edging further into the woods. As the child neared, Sans noticed several scratches and bruises on their face, including a bandage plastered on one cheek. Seems like the kid had had a bad time, and now they were wielding a large stick in front of themselves, waving it around as if it were a sword. Clearly, they were afraid, and understandably so. Sans himself knew several monsters who would quickly snatch up an opportunity to pick on a poor, defenseless human kid.

Well, he wouldn't allow them that chance. As the child past him, Sans slipped out of the shadows and began to follow the strange child.

 **Next time: Frisk and flashbacks!**


	2. Chapter 1: Alone, And Nowhere To Go

**Chapter 1: Alone, And Nowhere To Go**

Frisk was afraid.

Even though it wasn't as dark out here as it had been back in the Ruins, it also felt… lonely. Maybe it was the fact that everything was covered in snow, or that the trees that surrounded him were twisted and bare, or that he couldn't detect any signs of life for miles.

Or maybe it was because he had just narrowly escaped with his life after battling with someone who he had thought was his friend.

Yeah, that certainly could be part of it.

All Frisk wanted to do right now was rest. His feet ached, he could barely keep his eyes open, and he was covered in cuts and bruises. Even his favorite striped jumped had a large rip in the sleeve. He must have looked a mess. What would parents say when they saw him again? _If_ they ever saw him again?

Had they even realized he was missing yet? That his bedroom window was slightly ajar, or that he had been unusually quiet all day? Surely, someone must have noticed. Surely.

Frisk glanced behind him at the entrance to the Ruins. It was dark in there. Pitch black, almost. Yet on the other side of that dark tunnel was Toriel's house, where she had prepared a lovely room for him, where there was a warm cozy bed that he could curled up on. He wanted so desperately to go back, to rest, to recuperate…

To see Toriel again.

His heart ached slightly as he thought of the kindly old lady and how she had hugged him as she bid him farewell. He had flinched when she had put her arms around him, rubbing against the wounds that she herself had inflicted. He found himself frozen, unable to move until she had let him go and exited the tunnels. In that moment, he had both loved her and been afraid of her, a combination of feelings that confused his young mind.

'How can you love someone who hurts you so much?' He felt as if he should have been angry, yet he couldn't quite bring himself to hate her for some reason. Deep down, he knew she hadn't wanted to hurt him. He couldn't explain it, but he felt… connected to Toriel somehow. Like they'd met some time ago, and they were only seeing again for the first time in years. Stranger still, he also could recognize that Toriel was… sad. And it wasn't just because of him. There was an empty space deep inside Toriel, and she had tried to use Frisk to fill it. He had refused, and now the emptiness had come back with a vengeance. Should he really have left her alone?

… It was too late to go back, wasn't it? Even if he returned the way he came, he couldn't take back what had been said. He couldn't ignore the fact that he had shown a desire to leave. And she would be aware, wouldn't she? She would know that he had only come back because he didn't want her to be alone. She would feel pitied, and that would only make things worse.

And besides, he didn't want to go back into the darkness, knowing that that horrible flower could be lurking in the shadows. No. He would press on, no matter how much pain he was in, no matter how scared he was. All he had to do was put one foot in front of other. It was easy.

He turned his back on the ruins and began to walk.

The snow crunched underfoot, and he could feel the snow slipping into his shoes, melting into cold water around his feet. It was an unpleasant, squishy feeling but he did his best to ignore it. He kept his lucky stick in front of him, holding it like he imagined a knight holding his sword. The fact he couldn't see anyone should have comforted him, but in fact it made it worse. Who knew what kind of horrible creature could be lurking around the corner? Sure, he had managed to get alone alright with the monsters in the Ruins, they hadn't been all the scary, if not a little mean at first. But he wasn't in the Ruins anymore. What if the monsters here really wanted to hurt him? What if they tried to eat him? Did monsters really eat children like in the stories? He gave practice swing of the stick, an attempt to psyche out any creature that could be lurking nearby. He wasn't sure how convincing it was.

At one point, he saw a large stick lying in the road, and stepped over it. He had been tempted to take it with him. It was much longer and spikier than his lucky stick. It would have made a far better sword. Or maybe he could dual-wield? No scary monster would dare mess with him if he was dual-wielding sticks! However, after a moment, he decided to just leave it. Nothing could be better, after all, than his lucky stick.

He continued on. In the distance, he could see a bridge and some of… gate? It looked like it was meant to keep people out, but the bars were wide apart. He could definitely sneak through them, no problem! Frisk found himself feeling more determined as he made his way down the path, the aching in his wounds lessening slightly and he even lowered his weapon…

SNAP!

… only to raise again when he heard a loud noise behind.

He turned around. "W-who's there?" he shouted, scanning the trees for any signs of pursuit. There were none.

Frisk lowered the stick again. Maybe he had just imagined it? He found his gaze being drawn to the large branch he had stepped over earlier, lying only a few feet away.

It was now snapped in half.

Frisk started to walk forwards, quickening his pace as he continued his journey to the bridge. Behind him, he started to hear footsteps. Something was clearly following him now, and yet he couldn't bring himself to look. What if it was Flowey, come to mess with him again? Now that Toriel was no longer with him, could Frisk fight off that horrible creature?

His heart was racing. The bridge was now only a few feet away. While he could slip through the gate, maybe the monster would be too big! He'd be safe then, wouldn't he? His job became a sprint.

'I can make it! I can make it! I can make it!'

And then, just as he was about to reach the bridge, he tripped. His face hit the wood, and he could feel his bruises on his face aching once more. Tears stung in the corners of his eyes as he tried to push himself back up, now sitting on his knees.

The footsteps had stopped, and a shadow had now been cast over him.

Frisk couldn't move.

He felt something lightly tap his shoulder. "you okay, kid? that was a nasty fall you had there," a deep voice said behind him. Frisk turned his head slightly to see a hand being held out him. "here. let me help you up."

Trembling slightly, Frisk took the hand.

There was a loud noise, similar to that of someone giving off wind, and had Frisk not been terrified right now, he might have laughed. However, in the silence of the dark, snowy wood, the humorous noise seemed out of place.

Frisk's strange helper, however, didn't seem phased, and gave a hearty chuckle. "the old 'whoopee cushion in the hand' trick. it's always funny!" he said. Frisk raised his head.

In reality, the stranger was not much taller than him, yet in the eyes of a startled child, he seemed like a giant. Still, Frisk found comfort in the fact that he was perhaps the most humanoid of all the monsters he had seen so far, resembling a chubby, almost cartoon-like skeleton. He had a huge grin plastered over his face, and Frisk thought he could see little lights flickering in his otherwise-hollow eye sockets. He certainly wasn't the most terrifying monster Frisk had encountered, yet something about him set the young boy on edge. He just couldn't put his finger on it.

"err, hello in there?"

Frisk blinked. He hadn't realized that he had been staring until the strange skeleton had started waving his hand in front of him.

"you okay? you look kinda out of it," the skeleton commented.

Timidly, Frisk nodded.

"hmm…" The skeleton paused for a moment, staring down at Frisk in a fashion that could be considered thoughtful. Then, with a surprising amount of strength, he pulled the kid up to his feet. "alley-oop! there we go. isn't that better?" His grin seemed to widen slightly. "anyway, name's sans, sans the skeleton. nice to meet'cha." He gave a firm handshake, and Frisk suddenly became aware of how hard the skeleton was gripping his hand. It seems Sans became aware of it too, because after a moment, he quickly let go, tucking both his hand into his jacket pockets. "what's your name?"

Frisk blinked, opened his mouth to speak, and then quickly shut again, averting his gaze downwards.

"hmm…." Sans looked the boy up and down. "not much of a talker, eh? that's okay. i can do enough talking for the both of us." He chuckled again. "anyway, forgive me for asking but you're a human, right?"

Still not looking up, Frisk gave a weak nod.

"that's hilarious," Sans replied. "'cause actually, i'm supposed to be on watch for humans right now."

Frisk felt his body tense as he remembered Toriel's warning. She had told him that other monsters would try to hurt him, try to kill him. She warned him of someone called Asgore. He hadn't understood fully what she had been trying to say, but he could feel the danger behind it. Outside the Ruins, there were monsters that would actively hunt him. And this skeleton was one of those send to look out for humans like him. Frisk clutched his branch tightly, preparing to fight off his opponent.

"but, errr, y'know…" Sans continued, causing Frisk to raise his head slightly. The skeleton gave a small shrug of his shoulders. "i don't really care about capturing anybody." Frisk relaxed slightly, yet only a little, as Sans began to talk again. "now, my brother papyrus. he's a human hunting FANATIC." Sans then tilted his head slightly to the side, as if he were looking at something behind Frisk. "actually, i believe that's him right now."

Frisk tensed once more and turned to follow Sans' gaze. In the distance, he could see a tall, thin shadow walking towards him. He lifted his branch slightly.

Sans placed a hand on Frisk's shoulder, causing the boy to jump slightly. "hey, hey. it's okay," he said in a calm manner. "look, i have an idea. go through this gate thingy." He motioned to the bars over the bridge. "yeah, go right through. my bro made the bars too wide to stop anybody."

Frisk frowned. Well, that wasn't too smart. This 'Papyrus' was obviously spatially challenged. He was almost tempted to say something, had Sans not spoken again.

"come on, come on. it's best you hurry along," he said, gently pushing Frisk forwards. The boy allowed himself to be guide over the bridge and along the path, allowing himself to show no hesitation despite the fact that the figure was coming close. Sans motioned to the side, where small counter was placed. "that's my station. you can hide behind it." He gave Frisk another little push. "quickly now. he may not seem fast, but he's got very long legs."

Frisk obeyed, and hurried over to the counter, crouching down onto all-fours behind it. He could hear snow crunching underfoot as the figure, presumably Papyrus, came dashing into the clearing.

Frisk heard Sans speak again. "s'up, bro?" he said.

Another voice, much higher to the point it was almost shrieking, spoke. It kind of reminded Frisk of Skeletor from He-Man, yet devoid of any sort of malicious intent. In fact, it sounded more like a whining child more than anything else. "YOU KNOW WHAT 'SUP', BROTHER!" the voice exclaimed. Slowly, Frisk peeked out from behind the desk to see Sans engaged in conversation to another skeleton. This one, presumably Sans' brother, was taller, perhaps twice Sans' height, and was dressed in a costume fitting of an old superhero, flowing cape and all. His face was the picture of frustration. "IT'S BEEN EIGHT DAYS AND YOU STILL HAVEN'T RECALIBRATED YOUR PUZZLES." He raised a gloved hand, pointing a finger accusingly in Sans' direction. "YOU JUST HANG AROUND OUTSIDE YOUR STATION! WHAT ARE YOU EVEN DOING?!"

Sans shrugged. "oh you know," he said, casually. "just enjoying this weather we're havin'. really pleasant, don'cha think?"

"WE DON'T HAVE TIME FOR THAT! WHAT IF A HUMAN COMES THROUGH HERE!? I WANT TO BE READY!" Papyrus started angrily stomping his foot on the ground like a toddler having a temper tantrum. "I WILL BE THE ONE! I MUST BE THE ONE! I WILL CAPTURE A HUMAN!" He stopped, holding his body a little higher, almost as if striking a dramatic pose. Frisk then noticed that the tall skeleton's cape started flowing as if the wind was blowing it about. And yet, Frisk could feel no wind. "THEN, I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, WILL GET ALL THE THINGS I UTTERLY DESERVE: RESPECT, RECOGNITION. I WILL FINALLY BE ABLE TO JOIN THE ROYAL GUARD!"

Frisk couldn't help but note a hint of longing in Papyrus' voice, and as the skeleton continued to speak, he couldn't help but feel a little sorry for him.

"PEOPLE WILL ASK TO BE MY 'FRIEND'. I WILL BATHE IN A SHOWER OF KISSES EVERY MORNING."

Frisk found his fear slowly dissipating. That didn't sound like someone with malicious intent. That sounded like someone who felt underappreciated, who was only doing what he had to do so people would like him. He felt a pang of sympathy in his heart, and he was so distracted it took him a moment to realize that Sans was no longer looking at his brother, but was instead staring straight at him. Frisk found himself ducking back behind the counter, despite the fact that Sans was not the one he was meant to be hiding from.

"AND YOU!" Papyrus' tone swung from longing to angry once more, and Frisk jumped again, afraid that he had been found out. However, as he peered behind the desk again, he found that the 'YOU' had been Sans. "YOU ARE NOT HELPING, YOU LAZY BONES! ALL YOU DO IS SIT AND BOONDOGGLE!" He started stomping on the ground again. "YOU GET LAZIER AND LAZIER EVERY DAY!"

"hey, take it easy," Sans said. "i've gotten a _ton_ of work done today." His grin widened, and he gave a little wink. "a skele- _ton_."

The pun took Frisk off-guard, and he gave a little snort, only just managing to cover his mouth before a bark of laughter came out. For a moment, he was afraid he had given himself away. Then Papyrus spoke again.

"SANS!" he barked.

"come on," Sans said, the grin never leaving his face. "you're smilin'."

Papyrus indeed had a huge smirk plastered on his face, though Frisk supposed he couldn't really help it considering. "I AM," he shrieked. "AND I HATE IT!" He gave a loud sigh. "WHY DOES SOMEONE AS GREAT AS ME HAVE TO DO SO MUCH JUST TO GET SOME RECOGNITION…?"

"wow, it really sounds like you're working yourself…" Sans paused slightly, giving another wink. "… _down to the bone._ "

Frisk bit his lower lip.

With a snarl of annoyance, Papyrus retorted, "I WILL ATTEND TO MY PUZZLES. AS FOR YOUR WORK, PUT A LITTLE MORE… 'BACKBONE' INTO IT!" He then raced out of the clearing, laughing hysterically as he did so.

There was brief pause. Then, with a satisfied sigh, Sans called out again. "okay, you can come out now," he said.

Slowly, Frisk crawled out from behind the counter. He approached Sans, glancing nervously in the direction Papyrus had exited in.

"that went well, huh?" Sans comment. "you oughta get going. he might come back, and if he does…" He winked at Frisk. "you'll have to sit through more of my hilarious jokes."

Frisk smiled nervously. "Err… thank you," he said, shifting awkwardly. "For helping me, I mean."

Sans chuckled. "hey, you can talk after all," he said. "good to know." He grinned at Frisk, and Frisk couldn't help but grin back. "actually, if you don't mind, i'd like you to do me a favor."

Frisk blinked. "Um… sure," he said. "What exactly?"

"nothing too big, it's just, well…" Sans glanced in the direction Papyrus had headed. "my brother's been kind of down lately. he's never seen a human before, and seeing you might just make his day." Frisk's eyes widened. He opened his mouth, but Sans interrupted. "don't worry. you probably might have already figured this out but he's not really dangerous, even if he tries to be."

Frisk frowned but found himself nodding in agreement. "Sure," he said. "I'll help."

Sans' grin widened so much, Frisk almost imagined the top of his head coming off. "thanks a million, kid," he said. "i'll be up ahead. don't get lost now."

Frisk rubbed the back of his head. "I'll, err, try not to…" he said. "Anyway, thanks again for-" He stopped midsentence, realizing that suddenly, he was alone. Sans, who had been standing only a couple of feet away was now gone.

"Sans?" Frisk looked around the clearing frantically, but try as he might, he couldn't catch even a glimpse of his new friend.

Weird.

Suddenly feeling more alone than before, Frisk clutched his jumper against himself. He hadn't realized how cold it was until now. He really should have brought a coat with him or something, or maybe asked Toriel for one. But he couldn't turn back now.

With a deep intake of breath, he started to make his way along the path.

 **Next time: fun with Papyrus!**


End file.
